Disclaimer in first chapter.

Back with another chapter. Hope you enjoy, thanks for all the love and support so far!

Lorelai paced out in front of the diner, deciding whether or not she wanted to go in just yet. Today, as promised, Mia had taken Rory on her little shopping excursion while she worked. Their plan was to meet at the diner before the parade for dinner and some hot chocolate or coffee to take with them but they weren't here yet and she didn't want to go in by herself.

Through Mia, Lorelai found out a little more about Luke after their last encounter. She knew that he had lived in Stars Hollow all his life, he owned the diner in town, and even that he lived in a small apartment above the very diner that he owned. Mia offered up all of this willingly after he left, along with the fact that was a good man who was carving out a great life for himself through his business. Even if he was a bit of a hermit. And the fact that even though Mia had paid him for his work, the money had found it's way back into the pocket of her coat that hung on the coat rack in the lobby.

She had a long day at work and just wanted to spend the night with her daughter watching the parade and forgetting about the amazingly gross things that people would leave behind in their rooms. She scrubbed herself clean the moment she was finished with her work for the day. The last thing she wanted to do was be around him again. He already apologized and she kind of accepted it but she wasn't in the mood. But Mia had sung praises of the diner and the diner owner and she agreed to dinner, so there was no backing out.

At the risk of looking at a crazy person stalking outside the diner, she finally pushed open the door and walked in. The bells above the door announced her arrival and caught the attention of the flannel-clad man behind the counter. She briefly wondered if he ever wore anything different before their eyes locked.

"Anywhere?" she asked.

Her answer came in the nod of his head and she decided to settle down at a table by the window. She alternated between looking out the window waiting for Mia and Rory to show up and looking over the menu that was already on the table.

"You finally decided to come in?"

She looked up at the sound of his voice. "You were watching me?"

"Business is slow," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I was bored."

"So, you were watching me."

"You were in my line of vision, don't flatter yourself."

"This is you admitting you were watching me."

Luke blew out a heavy breath. "Coffee?"

She grinned. "The biggest cup you have."

He gave a curt nod of his head. "Anything else?"

"Just the coffee for now, I'm waiting on someone."

Another nod of his head and left her table and walked back behind the counter. She watched him as he went but as soon as he turned around with a coffee cup and the coffee pot in his hand, she turned away like she wasn't watching him. Mere seconds later, a mug was placed in front of her and filled with coffee.

"Cream or sugar?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm good."

He acknowledged her answer with a barely noticeable nod of his head and lingered by the table. "So your daughter's not with you tonight?"

Her eyes narrowed, studying him. He wasn't one for making conversation, at least according to Mia. Her answer was a little hesitant. "She's the someone I'm meeting."

"Oh."

"Yeah, you know six years old and their need for freedom. I kicked her out of the house this morning and just let her run wild. Just told her to make sure she's free to join me for dinner."

"Right."

She was confused on why he was still there when there were other people in the diner that she was sure needed him more than she did. "So...is there something else you needed?"

"Nope."

She left out a half-laugh, bore out of confusion and a little amusement, as he turned away from her again and walked around the diner refilling coffee for those who needed it. Wrapping her hands around the mug, she lifted it to her lips and took a sip. Okay, even if she wasn't that fond of the diner man, the coffee was definitely worth a trip back. Or a few trips, as long as it fit her budget.

She caught him watching her but couldn't take time to comprehend any deeper meaning because the bells above door rang out and her attention was focused on the two that entered right after. Her face lit up when Rory came skipping towards her and she was out of her chair just in time for Rory to launch herself into her arms.

"Hey babe," Lorelai greeted cheerfully and with a kiss to her daughter's head. "How was your day with Mia?"

"Great!" Rory answered, climbing in the chair that her mother pulled out for her. "We bought you a present."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Lorelai prodded.

"No, that's cheating!"

She laughed lightly and settled back into her chair. Looking across their table at Mia, she said, "Thank you again for taking her today."

"Oh, it was nothing," Mia dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I love spending time with my favorite girl."

To be funny, Lorelai pretended to pout, especially since Rory seemed to be thrilled by the idea that she was the favorite. "I thought I was your favorite."

"Uh-uh," Rory interjected before Mia could say anything. She started to brag. "I'm the favorite, I'm cute."

Mia smiled at the interaction. "You're both my favorite girls."

Lorelai stuck at her tongue at Rory and was met with the same action from her daughter. "Ha-ha."

"You're silly Mom."

Rory's eyes widened when Luke approached the table once again, asking Mia if she would like coffee and then asking Rory what she would like to drink. She didn't answer but turned to her mom and whisper-yelled.

"Mom, it's the Grinch!"

She hadn't yet told Rory that Mia actually knew the Grinch pretty well and that she had met him once again but her daughter's astonishment that they were meeting him again was too cute and she was thrilled that it was happening this way. The looks on both Mia and Luke's face were also pretty thrilling.

"I know!" Lorelai said, matching Rory's astonishment. "And Mia know him."

She turned to Mia, whisper-yelling again. "You know the Grinch?"

Mia chuckled. "The Grinch?" She turned to Luke for an explanation. "Now Lucas, why do these girls think you're a Grinch?"

Luke side-stepped the explanation. "It's a long story."

"It's not that long," Lorelai said.

"Can I get anyone something to drink?" Luke asked, looking for a way out of this conversation.

"I'll take some coffee dear," Mia answered. She looked to Lorelai. "And I want the story for this whole Grinch thing."

"Happily." She turned to Rory. "Apple juice?"

Rory answered silently with a nod of her head and Lorelai relayed her answer to Luke. As soon as he was gone, Mia asked for the full story and both Lorelai and Rory were happy to explain. They paused their story when Luke came back with their beverages and took down their food orders, Mia assuring them that everything she's tried at the diner was great because Luke made great food. When he was gone again, Rory started the story back up. When their explanation was finished, a little more dramatic than the original because it was told through the eyes of a six-year old and Lorelai, Mia insisted that while Luke was grumpy, he was no Grinch.

Lorelai partially agreed with Mia, telling Rory that she met him again and he had apologized for yelling at them. Maybe he wasn't exactly a Grinch but he was a man who yelled at her and her kid and she still thought he was an ass. And handsome. She quickly shook that thought from her head because that wasn't a road they were going down at all.

Lorelai breezily shifted the conversation to Mia and Rory's day while they waited on their food. Rory was more than excited to chatter on about the shopping day with Mia. From the food court at the mall to visiting the bookstore to finally finding the perfect present from her mom, Rory didn't skip any details. Except for the one on what she and Mia had bought for her mother.

Rory's story lasted all throughout their meal with comments added in by Mia on how she just had to buy Rory a few treats for accompanying her shopping today. Those treats being a couple of books that Rory couldn't wait to read with Lorelai. Lorelai insisted that Mia did too much, because she did and she always did, but really she was grateful for Mia in ways that she could never even attempt to put into words.

As their meal drew to a close and Luke came to clean off their table and ask how they enjoyed their meal, Rory leaned over the table and whispered in her mother's ear. While Rory whispered, Lorelai subtly watched Luke then gave a nod of her head when her focus was back on her daughter.

"Check my purse," she whispered back to Rory.

Rory scrambled for her mother's purse that hung on the back of the chair. After a few minutes of digging, she pulled out what she had been looking for. Luke was no longer at their table but she spotted him behind the counter. With her mother's encouragement and her mother holding her hand and guiding her across the diner and up to the counter, she climbed up onto a stool.

He wasn't paying attention but Lorelai called out his name. "Lucas."

"It's Luke," he replied before turning around to face them.

"Yeah I know." Lorelai stood by her daughter's side and gestured to the card in Rory's outstretched hand. "She has something for you."

Luke glanced down at the card and then at Rory who was watching him expectantly. "You have something for me?"

"A Christmas card," Rory answered. She gave the card a little wave. "For you."

"Take the card," Lorelai prompted him.

He took the card and Rory finally smiled, her little shoulders slumping with relief. If Mia knew him and said he was a good person then he probably was a good person. She giggled as did her mother when he opened the card and glitter exploded from it, coating him thoroughly in green and red sparkles. The card had an abundance of glitter as well as a few drawings of stars and Christmas trees along with her own little Christmas greeting in which she still called him the Grinch.

"I made it myself," Rory said with pride.

"And you did an amazing job, right?" Lorelai asked, prompting Luke to speak up. The man needed his own set of cue cards apparently.

"You did," Luke confirmed to the young girl. "This is great. Thank you."

Rory beamed. "You're welcome."

With her mother's help, she hurried off the stool and went back to their table and back to Mia.

Lorelai gave him a little smirk. "Nice sparkly pants."

"Are you done?"

"For now."

She made the move to walk away only to find that he was rounding the counter and following in her stride. She spoke over her shoulder.

"First you were watching me, now you're following me."

"Like I said before, don't flatter yourself. I'm going to talk to Mia."

Back at the table, Mia pulled out her wallet to pay but Luke insisted that this time was on the house. A naturally flowing, done many times, back and forth argument occurred because that was no way to run a business Mia insisted followed by Luke insisting that she could pay next time. It ended with Mia placing money down onto the table and firmly saying that it was in no way to find its way back to her own hand by any means. Luke obliged, there was no winning with Mia.

Taking everyone by surprise as they were putting on their coats and about to head out the door for the parade, Rory spoke to Luke again.

"Want to come to the parade with us?"

Luke hesitated. "Uh..."

Lorelai jumped in, "Rory, that's sweet of you to offer but Luke has the diner to run. I'm not sure if he can join us."

"Oh," Rory sighed. "Well if you can, I think it will be fun. Mia said it's fun."

"Maybe. I'll see."

Rory accepted that as a good enough answer and began tugging at her mother's hand to leave the diner because the parade was starting soon and she didn't want to miss a single minute. Lorelai let Rory drag her out of the diner and out onto the street where Mia suggested that the perfect spot to watch the procession was coincidentally right in front of the diner. Lorelai looked over her shoulder and back into the diner and watched as Luke stared briefly out the window before he went back behind the counter and began to wipe it down. Her daughter's excited squeals brought her out of her own head and back to the present.

Rory bounced up and down between her mother and Mia as the lights of the first parade float came into the view and people around them started to cheer and clap in the name of Christmas spirit. Lorelai joined in with them as did Mia when the first float drove by them and continued on down the street.

As the parade continued, Rory dove for candy that was thrown out and stuffed some of it into the pockets of her coat and the rest went into her mother's purse. She promised to share with her mother because they shared everything else but the ones in her coat pockets were all hers. Mia pointed out a few people to her girls as certain floats went by, giving tidbits of information about the town they lived in and how Lorelai should really get involved more with the town. Lorelai agreed, seeing as Rory was incredibly happy to be attending one of the town's events they had heard about before but had never really participated in. Plus, it seemed like this town knew exactly how to throw a festival. And from what she heard, they had plenty of them.

After a float passed with Kirk on it and he nearly fell off trying to toss out pieces of candy to the kids, Lorelai felt a presence by her side. She looked to her left, completely and utterly shocked to find Luke standing next to her.

"What an idiot," she heard him say under his breath when Kirk clung to the garland on the side of the float so he wouldn't fall off.

"You're here," Lorelai commented, her gaze on the parade and not on him.

His tone was nonchalant as if he had already planned on attending the parade which, based on the little bit she knew of him form Mia, seemed unlikely. "Business was slow."

"You sure do like to use that as an excuse."

"It's true," Luke replied. "Take a look for yourself."

She looked back at the diner once more before finally looking at him. "Okay, so your excuse is valid."

He looked back at her. "Are you always like this?"

"Like what?" She asked innocently.

That gave him his answer. "You are."

"Just be quiet and enjoy the parade."

"Back at you."

Lorelai restrained herself from rolling her eyes in annoyance and pulled her daughter close to her as the parade continued in front of them. After a few minutes, Rory finally noticed that they had another guest and she greeted him with a grin and called him Luke instead of the Grinch since she finally knew his name. The annoyance washed away and was replaced with glee as Rory kept saying she was so happy that they decided to attend the parade and how she wanted to do more stuff in the town and how excited she was for Christmas. Lorelai agreed on every point her daughter had and even eventually roped Luke into the conversation, reminding him to play nice in front of Rory because she was so close to not thinking of him as the Grinch anymore. She being Rory because she discreetly reminded him of what she thought of him and how it would take a lot more than attending a parade that Rory invited him to for her to not think of him as a complete ass. And, she thought, she was looking forward to finding out what more could possibly be.

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